


Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Childish Harmony

by Dravid3460



Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Nonbinary Character, Original Character(s), POV First Person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26499397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dravid3460/pseuds/Dravid3460
Summary: Jamie has been transported to a world of pokemon, and transformed into a Mudkip. Their immediate goal: get home and turn back to normal. They're forced to team up with a rude and reckless Snivy and explore mystery dungeons on a search for Mew, but strange things are happening to the dungeons. To face the danger ahead, Jamie needs to figure out their new body and work together with Snivy. After all, they need to get their life back to normal, no matter what.This story does not contain any characters from nor any direct references to the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. It only uses the general world and plot elements of the franchise. This story is a reboot of my previous story "PMD Friends Through Fire". It features the same main characters, but a completely different main plot.(this story was previously titled "PMD: Bonds of Discovery". The title has been changed to be less generic and better fit the story)
Relationships: Partner Pokemon & Player Character (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 5





	1. Saying Hello

**Author's Note:**

> Most chapters of this story will be 1,600-2,400 words long. For readers who are unfamiliar with pokemon, here are links to images of the main characters:  
> [Snivy](https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/7/75/495Snivy.png/600px-495Snivy.png)  
> [Mudkip](https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/6/60/258Mudkip.png/600px-258Mudkip.png)  
>   
> 

Where... am I? I open my eyes to see a... vortex of colors? I squint to see what's actually in front of me, but as I continue to wake up, the image just gets clearer; a vortex of colors, spiraling upward. Feeling below me with my arms, I notice that my bed is gone. Wait, then what am I laying on?

I shake myself awake and look around, but there's nothing but a dreamlike view of those rising colors all around and- There's no ground! I'm falling! Before I can figure out what to do, I feel... something weird nearby, and my body starts to go numb. I look down at my hands, only to find my arms melting into glowing light! As my body disappears, my hearing fades away, and darkness takes over my vision. Finally, my thoughts start to go quiet, and I fall unconscious...

... Something's poking me.

"Hey. Hello? Mudkip?"

I groan and open my eyes to find a Snivy looking down at me. It wears a pink scarf around its neck and a bag on its waist, and it seems... oddly tall? I try to stand, but I stumble and fall back down; my body feels like five different kinds of weird.

The Snivy pokes my face again.

"Hey, cut it out," I say, though my voice sounds higher than normal.

The Snivy giggles. "Just checking to make sure you're alive. So, how come you were napping inside a mystery dungeon? Not exactly the safest place to sleep."

Yeah, what AM I doing here? My head is fuzzy, but I try to remember what happened. "Well, I was- Wait, did you just TALK?!" Startled by the talking Snivy, I try to stand again, but my body isn't cooperating; everything feels like it's bent out of shape, and my arms and legs aren't moving how they should.

"Um... Yes? Are you hallucinating or something? Because in case I look like a talking rock to you or something, I'm a Snivy." Well shoot, I'm not hallucinating.

"But, you're a pokemon! Pokemon can't talk!"

The Snivy stares at me, stunned and bewildered. There's a long, silent pause before the Snivy speaks. "... Then how are _you_ talking?"

"Huh? Because I'm a human, obviously."

The Snivy laughs out loud. "What's that supposed to mean? You're obviously a Mudkip!"

I push myself up with my arms, trying to stand once again. "What are you talking... about..." I trail off as I look down at my hands; they're gone, replaced with a pair of little blue stubs. I look behind me, and see a pair of blue hind legs, complete with a tail fin. I reach up and touch my face, feeling large spiky gills on my cheeks and a big fin on top of my head. With only one arm holding me up, I lose my balance and drop to the ground again. "I'm... a Mudkip?"

"Uh, did you hit your head on something? You know humans aren't real, right?"

"What do you mean humans aren't real?!" What just happened? Where am I? Why am I a Mudkip!?

"O-kay, I'm just gonna leave you to freak out here then." The Snivy turns and starts walking away, deeper into the... tunnel? I look around and find myself in some kind of weird cave; rock walls surround me, lit by shining yellow crystals. Veins of yellow light zigzag across the stone, drawing paths that connect the crystals. Looking at it all, I get a strange, unfamiliar feeling...

Getting back to my current situation, I have no idea where I am or what's going on, and the only person who might have answers is walking away. "Wait!" I call to the Snivy. "Can you at least tell me where I am?"

"Yikes, you really must've hit your head hard. You're in Circuit Cavern, a mystery dungeon."

I try again to stand, finally managing to balance myself on four legs. "What's a mystery dungeon?"

"... Yikes." The Snivy pauses to think for a few seconds. "Say, you seem pretty helpless. You wanna come with me until we get out of here? It'll be easier for both of us, and WAY safer for you."

"Alright, but seriously; what's a mystery dungeon?"

"I'll tell you while we walk." The Snivy takes a step forward and extends its arm. "I know I already told you, but I'm Snivy."

I hesitantly reach out and shake Snivy's hand. "I'm Jamie."

Snivy pauses. "Ja... mie..?"

"What? That's my name."

"You're clearly a Mudkip."

"Well, I guess I am now. What does that have to do with my name?"

"You... You are a Mudkip. Your name is Mudkip. That's how names work."

"Well I was a human before, and human names work differently."

"Sure you were Mudkip. Anyway, lets get moving, yeah?" Snivy says as they walk away. I don't like Snivy.

It takes me a bit to figure out walking in this body, but it turns out four legs are pretty stable, and I can keep pace with Snivy with some effort. Once I get used to walking, my attention turns back to my surroundings; along with the small crystals in the walls and ceiling, we walk past groups of larger crystals on the ground, about as big as me. A few glow yellow, while most just look like clear chunks of glass. "Hey Snivy, you haven't told me yet; what's a mystery dungeon?"

"Oh yeah. They're, well, uh... Oh yeah!" Snivy clears their throat. "Mystery dungeons are areas of land that share a set of abnormal properties not found anywhere else, including rapid natural terraforming and spontaneous object creation. To translate that to English, they're weird places where the land shifts around, and stuff like special berries and wild pokemon just kinda pop into existence. And I," Snivy puffs out their chest, "am an explorer, traveling through mystery dungeons and hunting for the Guardians' Gate!"

"So, they're like magic caves?"

"Not always caves, but basically yeah. I'm surprised you don't know about them, they aren't that rare. Did you forget when you hit your head?"

I sigh. I've never heard of anything like this, and yet here I am, surrounded by glowing crystals. I wander over to one of the big yellow crystals on the ground, but as I reach out to touch it, a vine wraps around my arm, pulling me away. My eyes follow the vine to its source, and I find Snivy looking at me.

"Don't touch those, they'll zap you." Snivy releases my arm and continues walking.

Yup, this is definitely new. I leave the crystals and keep following Snivy. "What was that about mystery dungeons creating wild pokemon that you mentioned before?"

"Oh yeah, that's a really cool part of mystery dungeons! They can create fake pokemon that are called 'wild pokemon'. They don't have actual brains, so they act pretty much purely on instinct. All they do is wander around the dungeon and randomLY ATTACK PEOPLE!"

Snivy suddenly jumps to the side, and I turn to follow their gaze further down the tunnel just in time to see a bolt of lightning fly into my face! Electricity courses through my body, and my legs give out, dropping me to the ground. From further down the tunnel, a Shinx and a Pichu are running towards me.

"Get up Mudkip," Snivy shouts, "we need to fight!" Snivy dashes forward and lashes at the Shinx with vine whips, and the Shinx counters, lunging forward with a bite. The Pichu ignores Snivy and runs right at me.

I struggle to my feet, shaking off the numbness of the electricity, but just as I'm standing again, the Pichu circles around and tackles me from the side, throwing me off balance and knocking me back down! I stand again, and the Pichu tackles me from the other side. This time, I manage to stay standing, but I can't just keep getting hit like this...

The Pichu again circles around me, but I turn to stay facing it. Soon, it prepares for another tackle, and I see my chance. As it lunges toward me, I jump forward, countering it with a tackle of my own! My first tackle in this body goes about as well as I expect; I land the hit, but I completely fail to land from my jump and collapse to the ground. If anything, the Pichu's attack hurt me even more when I jumped straight into it, but at least the Pichu got hurt as bad as I did, as it's sent tumbling across the ground.

I get back up, but before I can think about what to do next, electricity starts sparking around the Pichu's cheeks; it's going to throw another lightning bolt! As the sparks peak in intensity, I leap to the side, and lightning strikes where I had just been standing! But of course, I'm still not used to jumping around like this, and I again fall to the ground when I land. But before I can get up again, the Pichu starts charging up another bolt! I try to get up, but I'm too slow, worn out from Pichu's attacks. The sparks peak in intensity, the Pichu moves to shoot-

_Wham!_

A green, leafy tail slams into the Pichu, knocking it into the cave wall. The Pichu lies there for a moment, motionless, before it suddenly evaporates into purple smoke.

"You're welcome for the assist," Snivy says with a smile.

"Hey, why did that Pichu turn into smoke?"

"Oh yeah, that happens when wild pokemon get hit enough. I don't know why. But anyway, uh, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"What was that fighting back there!? You got your butt kicked by a Pichu, and you barely did anything! Seriously, it looked like that was your first battle!"

"That _was_ my first battle! What, did your first battle go better?"

"I wouldn't know, because I was a BABY at the time! Sheesh, didn't you ever spar with your siblings or friends? It's in a pokemon's instinct to fight!"

"I already told you, I'm not a-"

Our conversation is interrupted by a shrill cry, and I turn to see an Emolga swooping down at us! Snivy jumps backward to dodge it, and I barely stumble out of the way in time.

"Stand back, I got this!" Snivy says, dashing forward as the Emolga turns around for another attack. They're both pretty agile, their battle becoming a dance of attacks and dodges, vines and thunderbolts. Well, the dancing is mostly on the Emolga's part; Snivy is more just jumping and flailing as they struggle to hit a flying enemy. Next to their fighting is a big glowing crystal on the ground...

I sneak around the fight and stand next to the crystal, waiting for my chance. After a moment, the Emolga dodges backward to avoid a vine whip, and I press my hand against the crystal. The glowing intensifies, and I immediately leap away to avoid the sudden discharge of electricity all around the crystal! The Emolga is caught in the discharge and drops to the ground, stunned by the crystal's electricity!

Snivy takes advantage, and when the electricity fades, they leap into the air, spinning acrobatically. A whirlwind of leaves gathers around their tail, and as they fall, they use the momentum of their spinning to slam their tail into the Emolga, sending it flying! The Emolga crashes to the ground, lying there for a moment before evaporating into purple smoke.

"Hey, that was a neat plan!" Snivy says. "But, uh, how did you know the crystal would do that?"

"What do you mean? You told me, didn't you?"

"I told you it would zap you. I didn't specify that it would explode into lightning all around."

Oh yeah. Why _did_ I think it would work like that? "I guess I just... assumed?"

"Huh. Well anyway, I guess you aren't completely helpless in a fight."

I do not like Snivy. But now I'm wondering... "Hey, what would've happened if those wild pokemon had beaten us?"

"They'd roast us over a fire and eat us, of course."

"WHAT!?"

"Oh my gosh, you should see the look on your face! I'm kidding! They'd just throw us out of the dungeon, or leave us lying there. Anyway Mudkip, we gotta get moving; we have a whole dungeon to explore!" Snivy marches onward into the cavern, humming a little tune. I do _not_ like Snivy.

But still, they're my best bet for getting out of here. I just have to tolerate them until I get out of here. But then what? If this Snivy has never seen a human before, I'm definitely super far from civilization. And I've never even heard of a place with magic caves and talking pokemon. And how will I become human again? How did I turn into a pokemon to begin with? None of this makes any sense...

For now, I just need to get out of this dungeon.


	2. Exploring Circuit Cavern

I walk through the cavern, with Snivy leading the way. We come across lots of forks in the path, and walk by occasional groups of crystals.

"So Mudkip," Snivy says, "I was wondering something."

"My name's not Mudkip."

"Sure Mudkip. Anyway, how did you get into this dungeon? You seemed pretty confused when I found you. Did you lose your memory?"

"No, I remember everything; that's why I'm sure I'm a human. But now that you ask, I don't know how I got here... I remember waking up in this weird... vortex of colors? And I was falling into it, and my body started turning into light, and I fell unconscious. Then I just... woke up with you poking me."

"Mudkip, that's called a dream."

A dream? Well that would make sense, but it felt so real! And between the talking Snivy and the lightning crystals, I think I can believe in a vortex of colors. Actually, maybe this whole thing is just a really vivid dream. "Well whatever, it's not important. Anyway, what was that thing you said about humans not being real?"

Snivy sighs. "Look, I get it, you're obsessed with those storybooks and you want to be a human, but you need to realize that they're just stories. Explorers have traveled all across the world, if there were humans, they would've been found. They're just fiction! Just like the boogyman, or the Easter bunny, or medieval knights."

"But I- Wait, the Easter Bunny is fake?"

Snivy puts a hand on my shoulder and nods solemnly. "Yes."

"But... But my parents told me-"

"I know. I'm sorry." Snivy lets go and turns to continue walking. "Let's keep moving."

I can't believe my parents lied to me... More importantly, what if Snivy's right? Maybe I hit my head SUPER hard and made up a bunch of fake memories? Snivy even said that pokemon have explored the whole world; they couldn't possibly have not found humans! And humans have explored the whole world too, but talking pokemon and mystery dungeons? I've never heard about this! So many contradictions, it's like I'm on a different planet! "... Snivy, are we on Earth right now?"

"Earth? You mean like, the ground and dirt?"

"No, the planet. Is this planet called Earth?"

"Uh, no, I'm pretty sure the planet is called the planet. Honestly, between 'Earth' and 'Jamie' you sure seem to like giving extra names to things."

Well. On one hand, this answers most of the questions I had, and resolves pretty much all the contradictions. On the other hand, I'M ON A DIFFERENT PLANET?!?! HOW?! WHY?! WHY AM I A POKEMON?! This doesn't- I- how- who- I'm-

"Hey Mudkip, are you okay? I mean, you know, besides your usual weirdness? You look a little... distraught."

"I'm... fine. I'm fine. I just need to... walk." I'll deal with this mess later; right now, just get out of the cavern. Fortunately, I'm getting used to walking in this body that I somehow have while I'm ON A DIFFERENT- No, I'm fine, just walk. Walk and look at the scenery, look at the crystals and lights and- Oh wait actually what's that?

I walk over to the side of the tunnel, which breaks off into a fairly large pool of water. The thought of jumping in and swimming around crosses my mind, and the pool is certainly large enough. With all the electricity in this cave, that might be a bad idea, but for some reason I feel like it's safe. Still, I don't like swimming, and despite my strange intuition, I shouldn't be taking risks in a place this dangerou-

"CANNONBALL!!"

Snivy plunges into the water with a giant splash, totally soaking me. I wipe the water off of my eyes to see Snivy looking up at me with a grin.

"Why would you do that?!" I say.

"Because I like swimming? Duh? Why wouldn't I jump in?"

"We're in a cave with lightning crystals! Didn't you think the water might be electrocuted?!"

Snivy's usual expression of smug cheeriness disappears. "... Oh. I didn't... think of that. Well, the water's fine, and, uh, not electrified. Come on in!"

"Sheesh, you're so immature."

"Hah! That's a good one coming from the one who thinks they're a human!"

"Whatever. And I don't like swimming anyways."

"You... You're a water type."

"Well I used to be a human. I've only been a water type for about 15 minutes."

Snivy sighs. "Sure Mudkip."

"Stop calling me Mudkip! My name is Jamie."

"Of course it is Mudkip~" Snivy turns away and starts aimlessly swimming around, apparently deciding to take a break from wandering the dungeon.

Ignoring the annoying Snivy, I take a look at my surroundings and notice another group of big crystals. There's one of the yellow glowing ones that discharge electricity, and three clear ones, but an opaque orange one catches my eye. They're positioned in a rough sort of line, with the yellow and orange ones on the ends.

I approach the clear crystal next to the glowing one, getting that weird feeling again. The glowing one zaps the surrounding area when it's touched, but what about the clear ones? Cautiously, I reach out and touch it, and it starts shining with a gentle white glow. I take a few steps back, but nothing happens. I step towards the yellow crystal. Maybe...

I touch the yellow crystal and immediately step back. The glow intensifies as before, but instead of a wide discharge, it fires a bolt of lightning at the white crystal next to it! The electricity remains for a second, connecting the crystals, before disappearing, and the white crystal loses its glow.

"What was that?!" Snivy shouts from across the tunnel.

I turn to see them climbing out of the water. "I'm checking out the crystals."

"Wha- And you said I'M immature! Why are you messing with those dangerous things?"

Once again ignoring the annoying Snivy, I walk over to the orange crystal and give it a tap. Nothing happens. I walk down the line, touching all three clear crystals and making them glow.

Snivy watches, confused. "What are you..."

With a final tap to the yellow crystal, I step back to observe. After a moment, an electrical current instantly connects the five crystals, and the orange crystal starts glowing. As the electricity fades, the orange crystal's glow intensifies before it seemingly melts away, revealing a pile of... berries?

"Whoa, how'd you know that would happen?" Snivy asks.

"I didn't, I was just experimenting."

"Really? Well you figured it out pretty quick for aimless testing."

"Whatever, why were there berries in the crystal?"

"Didn't you hear me before? Mystery dungeons can create special berries that do cool stuff like heal you or boost your strength. C'mon Mudkip, I get that you're totally ignorant, but could you at least listen to my explanation the first time?"

I don't like Snivy. "Well I'm kinda dealing with a lot of new info right now, so I'm sorry if I can't perfectly remember every little detail you mention."

"Not my fault you have a bad memory. But anyway, nice find! Those'll be pretty useful if you wanna explore more dungeons, and if not, you can always sell them."

Suddenly, I feel something strange in my body, and I hear a mysterious growling noise! I'm scared for a second before I recognize the feeling of a grumbling tummy. Whether human or pokemon, I guess some things are universal. "Hey, do any of these berries make good food?"

Snivy giggles. "Well they'd certainly work, but it'd be a total waste to just use them for lunch! Let's stop for a snack break; I'm getting hungry too, and I've got enough food for both of us."

And so we snacked. After putting the berries away in a bag, Snivy and I sit at a small picnic blanket and eat. Our meal is just a few fruits, which I have some trouble eating due to this body's teeth being very small and dull. I can barely chew, and soon a large piece accidentally slips down my throat. I panic for a second, but I actually feel fine. Maybe Mudkip are supposed to swallow things whole?

Snivy has no such trouble eating, though they don't look like they're chewing their food much either. As I watch, I start to wonder... "Hey Snivy, what are you doing in this mystery dungeon?"

"Me? Well, I'm glad you asked! You see, it all started many months ago. All my life I had lived in a small village, with my parents and older siblings. It was a dull, ordinary life, but little did I know I was destined for something greater! One day, a team of mystery dungeon explorers stopped in my village to rest and gather information on nearby dungeons.

"While they were there, they shared thrilling stories of their many adventures, fighting powerful enemies and discovering amazing things! I listened intently to each and every one of their stories. I asked endless questions about the wondrous dungeons, my curiosity insatiable. Eventually, the day came when they set out on their next journey, and the stories came to a close. I begged them to stay, to keep telling me their stories forever, but they couldn't. I wanted to know more about mystery dungeons, so... so one of them..."

Snivy touches the pink scarf around their neck, suddenly calm. "One of them, a Sceptile, told me, 'If you want to know more about mystery dungeons, go out and make your own stories. Don't settle for mere tales, see the wonder and excitement out there for yourself, and don't let anyone hold you back.' They gave me this scarf, and then... left.

"SO! I pondered for days, weeks, months about what to do, if I really wanted to leave my home to wander an unknown world. Eventually, I chose to leave everything behind, and I set out on the ultimate quest: To find the Guardians' Gate, said to rest inside of a legendary mystery dungeon! And that, Mudkip, is why I am here; to seek adventure and to search for the Gate!"

By the time Snivy finishes their speech, I'm done with my food. "I didn't ask for your whole life's story."

"Too bad!" Snivy says, gulping down the last of their own food. "Now lets get moving, we've got a dungeon to explore!"


	3. Facing Challenges

"Hey Snivy?"

"What's up?"

"Earlier, you said that 'the land shifts around' inside mystery dungeons. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"Oh, it's super cool! So in this cavern, there's all these tunnels and split paths and stuff, right? Well over time, the layout of the cavern will totally change; a left turn can become a right, a new tunnel might branch off where there wasn't one before, the crystals will move around, it's like a totally new cave! Cool right?"

"More like weird." As if this hasn't been weird enough. "Wait, if the tunnels move while we're inside, doesn't that mean it could seal the exit? Or crush us?!"

"No, no, there's always a path to the end of the dungeon. And apparently it never shifts while people are watching."

"That's... more weird. Why?"

"Why? Who cares? I mean, it isn't called a 'mystery' dungeon for nothing. If you want things to make sense, you shouldn't have come here in the first place."

"I didn't come here, I just woke up... here..." I trail off as we encounter an obstacle; the ground ahead slopes downward, while the way forward sits at the top of a small cliff. It's like a bridge with one side that's fallen. The cliff is way too steep to climb, but good news: There are several pillars rising out of the ground that could work as platforms, so we can use those to jump across. The bad news: The tops of the pillars are covered by a familiar glowing yellow crystal.

"Whoa..." says Snivy, staring at the pillars before us. "... That looks fun!"

"Wait, what are you-"

Snivy jumps onto the first pillar, jumping to the next one just in time as electricity zaps where they had just stood. They quickly make their way across, narrowly avoiding danger with each leap. Soon, they reach the other side, standing at the top of the cliff.

"Woo-hoo!" Snivy cheers.

"Hey, didn't you say we'd get out of here together?!"

"Huh? Well yeah, what are you waiting for?"

"I can't jump across there! I just learned how to walk half an hour ago!"

"So you're just figuring out walking but you can talk perfectly fine? Sure. Look, the jumps aren't even that far, you can obviously make it. C'mon, jump across, it's fun!"

True, the pillars are pretty close together, but I'm neither as fast nor as stupidly brave as Snivy. This is bad; Snivy might be a jerk, but I need help on this planet. Even if I can get out of this cave, there might not be any civilization nearby. I'm not sure I can even survive here on my own. "Please! You can't just abandon me like this!"

"... Oh." Realization dawns on Snivy's face, but realization of what, I'm not sure. After a moment of thought, Snivy reaches out with a vine and taps the crystal surface of the nearest pillar. After the usual delay, electricity surrounds it. "Okay, that's like two seconds. I think that's enough time to jump, right? Just try it once, and if you can't make it, I'll go back with you and we'll find a different path."

Well shoot, that's a pretty bad compromise; I get zapped and/or fall onto hard rock, but I get to not be totally lost and alone. Still, not like I have a choice. "Alright, fine." I Jump in place a couple times and savor a few more seconds of peace before jumping onto the nearest pillar.

I land pretty well, my four legs making it easier to stay balanced in an unfamiliar body. I take just a second to prepare as the crystal platform below me glows brighter, and I jump to the next pillar just in time. It goes great once again, and after another jump, it feels like the sound of electricity is chasing behind me. It's exciting! Just a little more...

A fourth jump, and I'm almost there, but I mess up my landing and collapse. I scramble to my feet, but the crystal's glow gets brighter and brighter! I jump toward the fifth pillar just in time to avoid the shock, but my jump was too hasty, and I don't go high enough! I bonk my head into the side of the pillar before falling to the rock-hard cave floor.

There are only three good things about this situation: I didn't get electrocuted, we get to take a safe route now, and... that was actually kinda fun while it lasted. I get up and rub my head; just about everything hurts, but I expected the fall to hurt more. I guess pokemon are more durable than humans.

"Hey Mudkip, are you okay?" Snivy asks, sounding... genuinely concerned.

I walk over to the cliff to look up at Snivy. "Yeah, just pain, nothing serious. So, we're going back to find a safe route now, right?"

"Yeah, let me just- Oh wait."

"What?"

"I, uh... Well..." Snivy reaches a vine down the cliff towards me. I'm not sure what's happening, but I let it wrap around me, and then Snivy starts... pulling me... up the cliff...

Soon, I reach the top. "So let me get this straight; you could've just done that the whole time?!"

"Yeah. I just, uh, didn't think of it until now..."

"You're an idiot."

"I... Yeah, I am. Sorry."

Okay, I'm pretty mad right now, but I probably shouldn't be calling the one person who can help me an idiot. That, and... "It's fine. And, well, it was... It wasn't that bad. Hey, actually, wasn't that kinda weird? The way that room was laid out?"

"How so?"

"It was like an obstacle course. You said this place just randomly shifts around, but that room looked like it was designed to be jumped across."

"Oh yeah. Things like that happen in mystery dungeons, I've noticed."

"Why?"

"Who cares? Again, they're called MYSTERY dungeons."

"Didn't those explorers you talked to ever tell you? Like, were these dungeons created by someone on purpose?"

"I didn't ask any boring questions like that."

"But aren't you curious?"

"I'm curious about cool things, like these crystals that make lightning! I'm not curious about boring stuff, like who put them there, or the way they use 'chemical reactions' or 'geothermal energy' or whatever to make lightning happen."

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Nope, and I don't need to! The crystals make lightning when you touch them, and that's super cool!"

Well that's some pretty shallow interest. I'm not great at guessing pokemon's ages, but while I'm pretty sure Snivy is a kid, like me, just how young are they to be this immature?.. But, well, they have a point; lightning crystals are pretty cool. Snivy starts walking further down the tunnel, but as I try to follow, pain shoots through my leg, and I wince.

"Oh shoot," Snivy says, fishing through their bag. "You should probably have an oran berry after a fall like that."

"Oh yeah, we got some earlier. Those can heal pokemon's wounds, right?"

"Yup. I'm surprised you know about oran berries but not mystery dungeons."

"Well, there were oran berries back on Earth, but not mystery dungeons."

"Earth?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I got teleported here from another planet called Earth. With humans. And no mystery dungeons. And also pokemon couldn't talk there."

Snivy rolls their eyes as they hand me a big blue berry. I have a bit of trouble handling it with my dumb stub arms, but I eventually get it into my mouth. I swallow it down, and my pain vanishes within seconds! I wish I could've used these things back when I was a human.

We continue our trek through the cavern, and I'm getting more comfortable with my new body; I've got walking totally figured out, and I'm starting to get used to the fins on my head and tail. Still, this body just feels so wrong; I'm a human, with hands, and fingers! I'm not supposed to walk on four legs. This isn't normal. How can I get my body back, and for that matter, how do I get back home?

Before I can ponder the answers to these questions, we walk around a corner and Snivy suddenly pulls be backward, putting a finger to their lips to shush me. They peek around the corner, and I peek with them. Ahead stands an Electabuzz, pacing around aimlessly.

"Hey, do you see those?" Snivy whispers, pointing to a pair of crystals sitting on opposite sides of the tunnel ahead, one yellow, one white. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yup, I think so."

"I'll make a distraction, you get to the yellow one."

"Got it."

Snivy steps out from behind the corner and runs toward the Electabuzz. "Hey you oversized banana, you want a new bruise!?"

Once I hear the sounds of the fight start to echo through the tunnel, I sneak around the corner and hide behind the yellow crystal. Snivy spots me and retreats, tapping the white crystal as they run away.

The Electabuzz doesn't approach, but instead shoots a lightning bolt at Snivy, but Sniivy easily dodges. "C'mon, is that all? I've eaten lemons that put up more of a fight!"

Whether responding to Snivy's taunts or just mindlessly chasing, the Electabuzz takes the bait and starts walking forward. I give the yellow crystal a tap and back off, turning around just in time to see an electrical current link the two crystals, with the Electabuzz caught in the middle! After a second, the current disappears. Snivy dashes forward, leaping into the air and swinging their tail at the Electabuzz's face-

Only to receive a fist straight to the stomach, knocking them into the cave wall. "... Ow, what the heck? How'd it recover so fast..."

Yeah, it should've been stunned after a shock that strong! It worked fine on the Emolga, so why- Oh my gosh we're idiots. "It's resistant to electricity!"

As I shout to Snivy, the Electabuzz turns to face me. Shoot, I probably shouldn't've announced my presence like that. Electricity sparks around the Electabuzz's head, and I dodge out of the way as a bolt of lightning strikes where I was standing! I dash forward to land a tackle, but the Electabuzz sends me tumbling backwards with a swift punch, leaving my lying on my stomach! For being so big, it moves fast.

I look up from the ground to see the Electabuzz's head once again sparking with electricity, and I barely roll out of the way in time to avoid the lightning. The Electabuzz starts preparing another bolt, but Snivy interrupts it with a tail smack to the face! But even after landing a clean hit, Snivy is almost struck with yet another punch, just barely managing to dodging it.

Snivy keeps attacking, using their vines to strike from a distance, but the Electabuzz is quick enough to dodge most of the attacks, and the ones that do hit don't seem to do much. What do I do? I could take advantage of the distraction and attack, but I'd definitely get hit in return if I got close. So then I won't get close, I'll just...

Instinct takes over, and I feel an unfamiliar power swell up inside me. I open my mouth, and a stream of water blasts the Electabuzz in the face, soaking it and making it stumble backwards!

"Wait, did I just- Oh my gosh, I just used water gun. I just used a pokemon move!"

"Celebrate later, fight now!" Snivy says, making a very good point as the Electabuzz doesn't look very happy. Sparks start to appear around the Electabuzz's head, but just as I get ready to dodge, its attack seems to backfire, causing it to flinch and rub its head in pain. Its electricity is hurting it? But why would it... Oh. OH!

"Snivy, let's use the crystals again!"

"What? Why?"

"Trust me!"

We run around the staggered Electabuzz, and I take cover behind the yellow crystal. Snivy gives the white crystal a tap as they run past, then turns to provoke our target.

"You look like a wilted dandelion, and you fight like one too!"

With thunderbolts out of its arsenal, the Electabuzz is left with no choice but to approach Snivy. I give the yellow crystal a tap and step back, watching as the soaking wet Electabuzz walks right into an electrical current! The Electabuzz cries out in pain, and when the electricity disappears, it falls to its knees!

"I got this!" Snivy dashes toward the stunned Electabuzz, leaping high into the air with a spin. As they spin faster and faster, a storm of leaves starts to swirl around their tail. "Special Finishing Move: Leaf Tornado!" Snivy's tail slams into the Electabuzz's face, the leaves cutting into its body, and the momentum of the strike knocking it to the ground!

A few silent seconds pass as the Electabuzz lies motionless, before it finally evaporates into purple smoke.

I breathe a sigh of relief at the battle's end. Then I remember; I used water gun! I just, shot water out of my mouth, just like that! That was so cool! I'm SO COOL!

"Why are you getting all excited?" Snivy asks.

Oh shoot, I said all that out loud. OH SHOOT, I was jumping around like a hyperactive puppy! And Snivy saw me! Oh my gosh I look like an idiot-

"It was just a water gun, you're acting like its something special. Now, MY attack, THAT was cool, right?! I was all like, woosh, and the bad guy was like, 'AAAGH', and I just knocked 'em out in one hit! That was AWESOME!!"

... For some mysterious reason, I don't feel very embarrassed anymore. "Uh, yeah, actually; that was a pretty cool move."

"Right? It was my siblings' move before, but I've totally mastered it and made it my own, and now it's my... SPECIAL FINISHING MOVE!" Snivy strikes three dramatic poses to emphasize their words, and I barely manage to hid my laughter. Then, something catches Snivy's attention. "Huh? Hey, check that out."

Snivy points further down the tunnel, to a room with a bright yellow light glowing within.

"Is that the end of the dungeon?" I ask, though I'm not sure where I got the idea; it doesn't look like it leads outside.

"Probably... Race ya there!" Snivy takes off, sprinting toward the light.

"Hey, no fair!" I chase after them, but my legs are short and I haven't got the hang of running yet. I fall behind, but I slowly and steadily make my way to the glowing room...


	4. My New Partner

After a bit of awkward running, I catch up to Snivy and catch my breath outside the room that's glowing with yellow light. But something's off; Snivy's standing just inside the room, seemingly in a trance.

I enter the room, but the light is blinding after so long in a poorly lit cave, and I cover my eyes. But even without sight, this room feels different; the whole dungeon has felt strange, but this room amps that feeling up to 11. It's definitely special, and when I can finally open my eyes, I see why.

The yellow glowing lines that were present throughout the dungeon are everywhere along the walls in this room. Before, they were wild and random, curving and zig-zagging aimlessly, but in this room, they look... perfect. They're perfectly straight lines, and they turn in 90 degree angles as they form orderly patterns on the walls, like a robot's abstract art. The lines eventually converge at the center of the ceiling, into a yellow square of light.

"Take a good look Mudkip," Snivy says from beside me. "This is the best part of exploring mystery dungeons."

"This is... amazing. It's beautiful! Why is this room so different?"

"This is the deepest part of the dungeon, like the heart and soul of the whole place. This room is at the center of all the weirdness and magic of the dungeon, so there's always awesome stuff in these places."

"Yeah. It really feels different..." Looking away from the perfect shining square on the ceiling, I notice something on the ground; a faint sphere of pink light at the center of the room, not seeming to have any source. The ground beneath it is normal, and the color is out of place in such a yellow room. "Hey Snivy, what's that?" I ask, pointing to the pink sphere.

"Um, what's what? What are you pointing at?"

I walk over to the sphere. "This thing, right here. The pink sphere thingy."

Snivy approaches. "What are you talking about? There's nothing there," they say, waving their arm right through the sphere of light.

"What do you mean? You can't see it..?" As Snivy just demonstrated, it seems safe to touch, so I reach out my arm to-

_A light._

_A shining star that radiates a strange energy. Other stars are off in the distance, woven together by strands of light. From one of the strands, far off in the distance, a familiar feeling calls out across the vast space. It feels like... home. Following the strand leads to another star-_

_A forest._

_A forest of pink and purple flora, filled with that same, strange energy. It shifts and breathes, creatures wandering about inside-_

"Ow!"

I rub my head as I rise to my feet. "What happened..?"

"You reached out your arm and then just froze. I asked you what was up, but you didn't respond, so I tried shaking you awake, and then, uh, and then you fell over."

"... You pushed me over, didn't you?"

"I-it was an accident! Besides, I should be the one asking what happened."

I turn back to the sphere of pink light to see it still sitting there, innocently. I remember the past few moments like a far off dream. "I... I touched that thing, and then I saw... stars? And then I noticed a feeling like- HOME! I felt Earth, I mean, my planet Earth, it was somewhere far off-"

"Hang on hang on, slow down. You 'felt' your planet? How do you know that? I'm actually curious what a planet even feels like."

"Well I- It wasn't- I don't know, I could just tell it was my home! I followed it and I saw a... pink forest?"

"Your planet has pink forests?"

"No, I-"

"Wait a sec!" Snivy fishes around in their bag and pulls out a map. "You said a pink forest? Like, with pink and purple trees?"

"Purple? Yeah actually, how did-"

"Bingo! Check it out!" Snivy flips over the map to show me. It's a beautifully drawn map, with writing in an unfamiliar alphabet. Snivy points to an icon showing pink and purple trees, just like I'd seen. "It's a mystery dungeon nearby called the Enchanted Forest. At first I though you just had another wacky hallucination, but it looks like that place you saw might be real."

It's real! I'm not hallucinating! I need to go there, but... "You said it's a mystery dungeon, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"So it's got lots of wild pokemon like here..." That place might be my only way home, but I don't know if I can fight my way through it. Snivy's been doing all the fighting here, while I can barely use water gun. Still, I've got no choice but to-

"Hey, um, you want to go there, right? To the forest?"

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Well, if you don't mind, I- Er, I mean, you'd want some help, right? Exploring dungeons alone is tough, and I want to explore as many dungeons as possible anyway, so maybe we could... team up?"

"Wait, really? That'd be perfect!" I think back to the vision and point toward where the dungeon was. "The forest is that way."

Snivy looks where I'm pointing. Toward a wall. "... What? How do you even- No, never mind, let me just get my compass. Let's see, the map says it's to the northwest, and northwest is in that... direction... You're pointing northwest. How are you doing that without a compass?"

"Because... that's the direction it was in? Look, I have no idea what's going on, I just touched that pink thing and-"

"There is no pink thing!" Snivy once again waves their hands through the pink sphere to demonstrate.

I sigh; this is just too much right now. "Look, I'm tired. Can we just get out of this dungeon first? I need some time to think, and I also just wanna get out already."

Snivy sighs. "Yeah, okay. C'mon, follow me; at the heart of each dungeon, there's a straight path to the outside."

"Why not just take that path in the first place to get here faster?"

"Because it doesn't exist until someone gets to the heart."

"... Right."

We leave the glowing room for another poorly lit tunnel, and I end up stumbling for a while as my eyes adjust. The long walk out gives me time to think, and I've got all sorts of thoughts buzzing around my head; why couldn't Snivy see that pink sphere? Why did it show me that vision? How did I get here, and why am I a Mudkip? Instead of finding answers, I just keep finding more questions!

Well, I might be able to figure out one thing. "Hey Snivy, is it really true that humans don't exist at all here?"

Snivy rolls their eyes. "Yes Mudkip, for the third time, humans are fake."

"... You really don't believe me at all..."

I see confusion in Snivy's face before I turn away. It really sucks to have to team up with someone so annoying and mean. Still, if I got transported to another world, and there's no such thing as humans here, maybe I got turned into a Mudkip because humans can't exist here? That'd be weird, but everything is weird here, so it-

"Well, I guess it's possible."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you being a human alien from a different planet. You somehow knew about oran berries, but not mystery dungeons, and I still don't get how you knew what direction to point back there. You're really weird; ignorance or memory loss don't seem likely, and it doesn't make sense to assume you're lying, so... maybe you're telling the truth. Maybe. At this point it'd just be one more weird thing to add to the list."

Well that was unexpected. We turn a corner, and there's what looks like an exit up ahead.

"Hey partner, race you there?" Snivy crouches down and prepares to sprint.

I roll my eyes at Snivy's continued immaturity, but I'm eager to finally get out of here. That, and... "Sure." I try to find a good stance to sprint from, but like everything today, it's awkward with four legs.

"Okay, on three. One... Two... Three!"

One sprint later, and I'm lying on my back, gasping for breath. Snivy sits beside me, far less worn out.

"That was a good race, partner."

"... thanks..."

"Well, since I lost, that means I'll be setting up camp for tonight."

When did we agree to that? Well whatever; I'm exhausted, so I'm glad they're handling it. I'm still surprised I won. Snivy walks away, audibly messing around with some bags or something. I roll onto my side, and I'm greeted by the sunset, bathing the world in orange and red. Convenient that it's almost night; it's been a long day, and I don't want it to get any longer.

"Oh, Mudkip!"

I sigh as I roll to face Snivy. "My name is Jamie."

Snivy holds out a pink scarf, just like the one they wear.

"What's that for?" I ask.

"It's called a Joy Scarf. They're made of an unknown material, and they're only found in mystery dungeons. They're really rare, so they're considered good luck charms. I was lucky enough to find one in my first dungeon, but I already had one, so I just held on to it."

"But why are you giving it to me?"

"Why..? I dunno, I just thought I should give it to you. As a gift."

"Oh. Well-"

"Plus since we're on a team, it'll be really cool for us to have matching scarves, right?"

"Uh, sure?" They seem really enthusiastic about this whole team up thing; it's just until we check out the Enchanted Forest, right?

"Awesome! Now put it on."

I reach out and grab the scarf, which is harder than it sounds without proper fingers. Much harder is actually tying it around my neck. I fumble around with it awhile, until Snivy walks up and puts it on for me.

I huff. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Sorry, I just wanted you to put it on some time today."

For a moment I think about protesting, but yeah, they're totally right. At least the scarf feels really nice against my skin. For being randomly created in a dungeon, it's very comfortable.

"Alright, these scarves make it official; from this day forth, we shall be partners!"


	5. Playing Dirty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was previously titled "PMD: Bonds of Discovery". As of the posting of this chapter, the title of the story has been changed to be less generic. Also, this chapter was reuploaded because I messed up the first time.

I'm awoken by the sun shining into my eyes, which is weird, because I usually keep my curtains closed. Actually, my bed feels weird, too. And so does... my body?! Panicked, I sit up and look at my hand-

Oh. That's right. I'm a Mudkip.

I recall the events of yesterday, my hand moving to the Joy Scarf around my neck; I teamed up with Snivy, and now we're heading for [NAME]. Beside me, Snivy's sleeping bag is already empty. I crawl out of my own sleeping bag and head for the tent's exit, but I trip and fall; this body still feels awkward, especially this early in the morning.

The sound of my failure apparently alerts Snivy from outside. "Hey Mudkip, you up? Come on out, I've got breakfast!"

I get back up and step out of the tent, flinching at the brightness of the outside. "My name is Jamie."

"Good morning to you, too. How'd you sleep?"

"Not great; I'm used to having a bed."

Snivy giggles. "Yeah, same. Guess we'll have to get used to it."

"Wait, wouldn't you be used to it already by now?"

"No? I only left home, like, a week ago, tops."

"Really? Wait, so, how many mystery dungeons have you explored?"

"Two."

"... Oh."

As I eat the food Snivy unpacked, I notice that none of it is prepared in any way; it's just a bunch of raw fruits and such. Did Snivy gather all of it themself? Regardless, I get some more practice eating with this body, and I'm now pretty certain that Mudkip really are supposed to just swallow food whole. I don't like it.

Soon, breakfast is finished and we start packing up our stuff. It's not that heavy of a load, but that's only because it's split between two of us; I know because Snivy won't shut up about how hard it was to carry it before.

Snivy sets the course with their compass, and we're off toward the Enchanted Forest. It's a cool, cloudy day, and the scenery as we walk is nice; I don't think I've even seen so much nature in person before, without even a paved road in sight. I'm so far from civilization, from home...

As pretty as the scenery is, I get bored of it before long. "Hey Snivy, you said you're looking for the 'Guardians' Gate', right? What's that about?"

"Oh that? It's nothing, really; it's less of a goal, and more of an excuse to wander around exploring every mystery dungeon I can find. No one knows where it is, and it's only known through legends. It might not even be real, like humans."

"I'm pretty sure I'm real, thank you."

"You're welcome! Either way, I'll probably definitely never find it, but if I DO, well, that'd make me the most amazing explorer of all time! It'd be a dream come true..."

"... So what happens after that?"

"Huh? Well, I keep wandering around and exploring dungeons. Duh. Hm?" Snivy looks up, and I follow their gaze to find the cloudy sky getting darker; it's going to rain soon. "Uh oh. Hey, let's run to that forest for shelter."

"Good idea; I hate the rain."

"You're... still a water type."

"Less talking more walking."

We head for the forest, although judging by its green leaves, it's not the dungeon we're after. It starts raining just as we reach the forest. The trees aren't that dense, so we still get wet, but it helps. In other news, I'm tired; we've had to be walking for at least an hour now, probably two. I'm about to ask if we can take a break here and wait out the rain, when Snivy speaks up.

"Hey, you see that tree up there?"

I follow where Snivy points, to a tree atop a small hill. It's bigger than most of the others, but more importantly... "It's an apple tree."

"Yup. We're gonna need more food to feed both of us, so now's the perfect time to restock! C'mon, I'll climb up and toss the apples down to you, then you put 'em in the bag."

We walk up the hill, getting even more wet without any trees to shield us, and Snivy effortlessly climbs to a high branch on the tree. Snivy plucks an apple from the tree, and as I get ready to catch it, I realize I don't know how to do that without hands.

"Ready?"

"Uh, yeah, ready."

"One, two, three!"

With no time to figure out a better method, I stand up on my hind legs and let the apple fall onto my chest, crossing my arms over it to hold it. The impact knocks me backward onto the ground, leaving me lying on my back. The apple is safe, but...

Snivy giggles at me from above, making me realize how ridiculous I look. "You okay down there, Mudkip?"

I glare at them as I stand and put the apple in the bag. "Stop calling me Mudkip."

"Good to hear! Get ready for the next one."

We keep going, and for lack of a better catching method, I repeatedly end up falling onto my back. It doesn't hurt physically, but Snivy's laughter makes sure my dignity doesn't escape unharmed. By the end of it, we have eight more apples and I've been thoroughly made a fool of.

Their job completed, Snivy walks to the end of the branch and jumps off with a flip, but as they land- "WHOA!" Snivy slips on the muddy ground, first sliding, then tumbling down the hill! I rush over just in time to watch as Snivy splashes into a big puddle of mud.

As a mature person, I should immediately ask Snivy if they're okay. As a mature person, there should be nothing on my mind except concern that Snivy might be hurt. I should grab an oran berry and get down there as fast as I can. I should not simply stand here at the top of the hill, I should not need to try to cover my mouth to stay silent, and I should certainly not fail to contain myself and burst out laughing uncontrollably.

It turns out I'm not as mature as I'd like to be.

To my relief, Snivy sits up, unharmed and covered in mud. Through my laughter, I barely manage to ask "are you okay?"

Snivy rubs their head and looks up at me. "Ugh, yeah, I'm fine. This isn't the first hill I've tumbled down."

Finally, I manage to calm down enough to speak properly. "I'm sorry for laughing, I just-"

Suddenly, Snivy gasps. "What's that behind you?!"

I jump and turn around as fast as I can, ready to run from whatever snuck up on me! But nothing's there? I look around for whatever Snivy was pointing at, when something grabs my leg from behind! I check my leg, and I catch a glimpse of a familiar green vine before I'm pulled backward, sliding and tumbling down the muddy slope!

I land in the mud puddle on my back, unharmed and looking up at Snivy as their composure rapidly devolves into laughter. I stand and wipe the mud from my face. If Snivy wants to play dirty, then fine, I can play along. I dig my arm under the mud and fling it into Snivy's face, bringing an abrupt stop to their laughter.

Snivy freezes for a second, then a devilish smile crosses their face.

Next thing I know, Snivy and I are fighting in a full-on mud war, each of us seeking to cover the other in as much mud as possible! We dodge and throw and run around in the puddle, until we finally exhaust ourselves and collapse, smiling and giggling.

After taking a moment to recover, Snivy points out a nearby spring, and we get up and head over to wash. The mud comes off pretty easily, but with how covered we are, it'll take a while to get clean. The rain would help clean us up faster, but it stopped while we were messing around, and the sun is out now.

Why did I do that? Why did I let myself get sucked into that fight? I should've just walked away and been the mature one, but no, I had to get back at them. That was so stupid of me. That whole fight was just so, so-

"That was awesome."

"Huh?"

"That mud fight we just had, it was awesome! I haven't had that much fun in ages."

Yeah, Snivy would be the type to have zero shame about this kind of thing. "If you say so."

"What's that supposed to mean? You were smiling along with me the whole time."

I open my mouth to respond, but they've got me there; as much as I hate to admit it, I enjoyed it in the moment. I go back to washing myself off. I think my second day as a Mudkip has managed to be even worse than my first.

We finish cleaning up and climb back up the hill. Before we resumed our journey, we decided to eat some of the food we just gathered. Well-fed and decently rested, we set off once more, Snivy setting our course with the compass. But just as we start to move out, we walk past a mark in the dried mud.

"Oh hey, this is where I slipped. Remember that? I was trying to be all cool and stuff while I jumped down, and then I just slipped and fell down the hill like an absolute clown! That was hilarious!"

"You... thought that was funny?"

"Of course; it didn't hurt at all, and it was comedy gold! You saw for yourself how funny it was."

"Well yeah, but... you were the one being laughed at."

"Yeah? So? That doesn't make it less funny."

"... Do you have ANY dignity?"

"Dignity? Of course not; I left all of that back home with my family."


	6. Impulse and Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: I realized I didn't like parts of the plot, so I changed it. As of 12/26/2020, chapters 1-5 have been updated to change a few key details. They're all mostly the same, so you don't have to reread them. It was 3 main things that changed, and the rest was just conversation edits relating to these details. The updates are:  
> Jamie didn't talk to Mew at all during chapter 1; they just fell through a vortex of glowing colors.  
> Jamie's vision in chapter 4 was heavily changed, with no more Fletchling and a different mystery dungeon called the Enchanted Forest. You might want to reread that part. Sorry.  
> Snivy is no longer looking for the "Temple of Mew". Instead, they're looking for the "Guardians' Gate". With these changes, Mew has yet to be mentioned in the story. Guardians in general have also not been mentioned.

"C'mon Mudkip, hurry up!" Snivy calls from deeper in the forest.

"Do you really have to run so far ahead?" I reply as I run through the trees, panting for breath. I'd love to just walk and make Snivy wait, but then they might just keep running and we'd get separated, so I have to keep up.

Finally, I catch sight of them. Surprisingly enough, they're waiting for me, and they don't even resume running when I catch up and stop to catch my breath. Wait, there's that feeling again, the one I felt in Circuit Cavern! It stopped when I left the cave, but now it's back. Could it be...

I raise my head and look behind Snivy, finally noticing the trees of purple bark and pink leaves, rising up like a gateway into a similarly colored forest as the clustered trees give way to a cleared path. "... We're here."

"Yup! And we only had to walk for most of the day! Ready to cross the threshold?"

"Let me just catch my breath for a sec... Hey, should we leave these bags outside? We'll be coming back here anyway, right?"

"Well... that's what I usually do, but we don't have much daylight left; unless you want to sleep on the ground, we'll probably need to set up camp inside."

"That doesn't sound safe. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to go in?"

"No way, we'd waste too much time waiting around."

I sigh. It's not like we're on a time limit... "Alright, I'm ready."

We walk into the Enchanted Forest, the greenery of the woods behind us replaced with pink grass and purple bushes. Scattered about, on the tree trunks and the ground, are odd glowing circles. Each contains a purple-tinted image of the forest, like a picture or a window. I'm about to investigate them when I hear Snivy call.

"Hey Mudkip, check this out!"

"My name is Jamie." I turn to find Snivy standing by a tree, right next to a circle. As I approach, they keep talking.

"I kinda thought these things might be mirrors or something, but look, no reflection!" Snivy's right; the image in the circle doesn't show Snivy at all. More confusing is that it isn't a still image; I can see leaves and branches moving with the wind.

"Huh. Have you considered the possibility that it is a mirror and that we're vampires?"

"Hmm, maybe..." Snivy cautiously reaches toward the image, only to have their hand pass right into it! "Whoa! What is this?"

I'm amazed by the sight before me, but I get a strange feeling, and I can't help but look behind me... "Snivy."

"Yeah, what's up?" Snivy says, still staring into the circle.

I walk over to the tree behind us, where I can't help but stare at Snivy's arm sticking out from the side of the trunk. I walk around to get a better view, and find the arm emerging from another circle. I get a bit closer and-

"AAAH! M-Mudkip?! When did you get in there?" Snivy says, pulling their arm back and looking at me through the circle.

"Um... I didn't."

"What? Wait..." Following the sound of my voice, Snivy looks behind themself and sees me. They turn back to the circle, then back to me. They put their arm through again, and their face turns from confusion to absolute glee.

"So, uh, I think these things are por-"

"They're PORTALS! Wait, does this mean I can-" Snivy turns back to the portal and crouches down. I realize what's happening a moment too late, as Snivy dives through the portal and tackles me to the ground. "Mudkip this is amazing! They're PORTALS!"

"Y-yeah, I got that. Would you mind getting off of me now?"

We continue walking through the forest, often stopping for Snivy to experiment with the portals. Actually, 'experiment' is the wrong word; Snivy stops to play with the portals. It's kind of a relief, actually; it's been a long day of travel, and it's nice to stop and rest for a bit while Snivy fools around...

It's been around half an hour since we entered the forest. Wild pokemon have attacked us a few times, but it wasn't much trouble. Right now, we're taking a break and having some food. It's quite the experience; munching on apples in a magical forest makes for a nice picnic. The only issue is that I'm still a pokemon. That, and that Snivy won't stop talking.

"... and those annoying mushroom fairy whatevers back there were just so annoying!"

"Morelull."

"What?"

"The mushroom fairies. They're called Morelull."

"Oh. What about the purple pig one we just fought?"

"Grumpig."

"Huh. And the big yellow one back in Circuit Cavern?"

"Electabuzz."

"Wow. For being so ignorant about everything, you sure know a lot of pokemon names."

"I was really interested in pokemon back on Earth, so I learned everything I could about them."

"Right... Oh, that reminds me! What are you gonna do after we get through this dungeon?"

"Well I was hoping to find a way home here. With all these portals here, maybe at the end there's a big one that goes to Earth or something."

"Yeah, of course, but hypothetically, if there were no portal to Earth, what would you do?"

"I... don't know. I hope there's at least a clue at the heart of the dungeon, but if not..."

"Well, we could... Uh, you might want to travel around looking for clues, right? And since we're both just wandering, you can stick with me!"

"If there's no clues or anything here, then yeah, I guess that'd be my best option."

"Awesome! Huh? Hey, look up there!"

I follow Snivy's gaze to a tree branch, and notice a few berries growing on it. "Those are... liechi berries?"

"That's right! A mysterious berry that gives a sudden burst of strength: The liechi berry! Sheesh, how do you know all this stuff?"

"I already told you."

"Yeah, but actually how? Anyway, I'm gonna grab those!" Snivy runs over to the tree, but there aren't any low branches to climb on. They reach upward with their vines, but the branch is too high. Disappointed, they look down... and notice a portal on the ground.

I sit back and watch as Snivy messes with the portal. It turns out to lead to a second portal on the ground some distance away. Snivy climbs a different tree close to the second portal, and make their way to a branch high above it. Suddenly, I realize what's happening, and I can foresee at least 50 ways it could go wrong.

Before I can say anything, Snivy leaps off the branch, shouting "WOOHOO!" as they dive down toward the portal. I run over, getting in a better position to catch them when they fall. They manage to dive through the portal, rocketing upward toward the branch, and I can see in their eyes the exact moment that they realize this was a terrible idea.

Snivy comes to a sudden stop as their head bashes into the branch, causing them to fall back down. They fall back through the portal, tossing them into the air and setting them on a crash course with the ground! I rush over just in time, and I stand up on my hind legs to catch Snivy as they fall onto me-

Next thing I know, I'm moaning in pain as I shove Snivy off of me.

"oof... wha..? Mudkip..? What happened..?"

"You're an idiot..."

"... Oh. Oh yeah."

We both stand and rub our heads. "In what world would that have been a good idea?"

"Well, I thought I'd just land on the branch, not... Hey, wait, why are you hurt?"

"Because I caught you, you reckless, immature idiot..."

Snivy frowns, anger evident on their face. "Hey, don't you dare call me imma- Wait, you caught me? Oh. Oh my gosh, thank you! I think I would've been totally knocked out from a fall that high. Ouch, I think I need an oran berry. Do you need an oran berry? We should split an oran berry. WAIT, the berries! Did I-" Snivy and I look over toward the branch, which is now barren. On the ground below, four pink liechi berries lie scattered about, shaken off the branch from Snivy's impact. "Aw yeah, score! Mission success!"

As Snivy runs over to collect the berries, I walk back to the picnic blanket to fetch an oran for our pain. I split it and eat my half, the instant relief almost making me forget Snivy's moment of royal stupidity that caused the pain in the first place. I probably should've just let them hit the ground.

Snivy takes a while before walking over and eating their half of the oran. "Hey, um... I thought about it, and... Here." Snivy holds out a pair of liechi berries. "You definitely deserve at least half of the berries after that."

"Oh. Um, thank you." I put the berries away in my bag. "We should get moving now, right?" I start packing up the blanket and food we laid out for our snack break.

"... no..."

"What?"

"No, you shouldn't be thanking me! You were right, I was being stupid and reckless and... immature. I AM immature. I even got you hurt because of it! I'm so sorry, you were right, I just... I don't..." Snivy looks down and mumbles something.

Why is Snivy suddenly acting like this? It wasn't that big of a deal. I'm not sure what's going on, but... I walk over and put a hand on Snivy's shoulder. "Hey, Snivy, you're not stupid. You did something without thinking it through, that's all. We're both fine now, just... Let's think things through before jumping in. As a team, okay?"

Snivy stares at me, eyes wide in confusion. "... O-okay, yeah... Um I..."

"... What?"

"Uh, it's just, I'm... Thanks for saving my butt back there, partner."

I sigh, and smile; it's nice to see Snivy back to normal. "You're welcome. Now come on, we've got a dungeon to explore."


	7. Coming Around

It's evening now; the sky is getting darker as we walk through the forest, the bright colors growing dim. We should probably find a place to set up camp for the night, but we start to hear a sound, and Snivy just has to chase it down. Before long, we're close enough to recognize the sound of running water. Still not satisfied, Snivy keeps going, and I have to follow. The source turns out to be... interesting.

After a fork in the path, we find a dead end with a pond. A waterfall flows into it, coming from a familiar pink portal on a nearby tree. However, the pond doesn't seem to be overflowing. Sure enough, when we approach the pond, I see another portal at the bottom; the waterfall supplies its own source, like a perpetual motion machine.

"I'm like 90% sure this thing is breaking the laws of physics in some way."

"I don't know what that means but it sounds like fun!" With no hesitation, Snivy drops their bags and dives into the pond.

I Snivy swims around for a bit, including allowing themself to get sucked into the portal at the bottom and thrown back in by the waterfall. Several times. It'll probably be night by the time Snivy decides to leave, so I start setting up the tent. I work for about a minute and make almost zero progress (I still don't have fingers) before Snivy calls out to me.

"Hey, aren't you gonna come and swim?"

"I already told you, I don't like swimming."

"Aw, come on! I bet you're reeeeally tiiiiired, after such a loooong day of walking~ Don't you want to take a nice, relaxing swim~?"

Darn it, they're right; now that they mention it, I do feel exhausted, and the water does look strangely appealing... "Fine, whatever."

I walk over to the pond, ignoring Snivy's fist pump of celebration. I put a hand- or I guess foreleg? I put a foreleg in the water to test it, and the temperature feels fine. Still, that was never the reason why I don't like swimming; when I wasn't struggling to stay above the surface, I was just uncomfortable being in the water. Yet for some reason I feel different now. Well, everything feels different, I'm a pokemon, but now it feels so safe and comfortable and nice on my skin and- Wait, when did I get in the water?

Here I am, floating in the water, subconsciously kicking my legs to stay above the surface. It feels so... natural. I guess I am a water type, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise, but it's just so easy and relaxing now. I effortlessly swim around as I let my instincts take over, even noticing my tailfin shifting to direct-

"Tag!" Snivy says as I'm lightly bopped on the head. "You're it!" Snivy swims away, giggling and splashing water everywhere.

I roll my eyes. So much for a nice, relaxing swim before bed. I drift to land and sit in the water, away from Snivy's shenanigans. Unfortunately, Snivy swims over to me anyways.

"Hey, c'mon, let's play a little! When's the next time we'll be able to have a pool like this to play in?"

At least Snivy's pretty good at making me feel like an adult. "Is playing around the only thing you know how to do? Seriously, grow up Snivy."

Snivy looks away, disappointed. "Why do you people always act like playing is a bad thing?.."

Wait, that's not what I meant... Well, I guess I kinda did. But I didn't mean playing in general, it's just that Snivy is so immature! They're so impulsive and emotional, and it's not just that they play around, it's that they always act so... so giddy, and... excited... Huh. That's not really-

I'm suddenly patted on the head. "Tag."

I turn to see Snivy slowly swim away... As if they'd get away with that twice! I kick off the shore and send myself gliding across the water. Snivy turns around just in time to get bopped on top of the head! "Tag," I say as I shift my tailfin and swim away, "you're it!"

After a brief pause, I hear splashing behind me; Snivy is chasing me. Even without much experience, I'm faster than Snivy in the water, and they can't catch up. But before long, I reach the edge of the pond. I turn and start circling around the edge, but Snivy cuts me off and lands a tag before making a u-turn!

I take a second to catch my breath before chasing after them, but as I quickly catch up, Snivy suddenly changes direction, and I fall behind. I catch up again, and they start to turn left. I preemptively turn left, but then they suddenly turn right! Snivy's certainly experienced in tag.

I chase Snivy down again, and we approach the edge of the pond. Snivy can't turn right, and I think I'm finally figuring out how to swim in this body. Snivy suddenly makes a sharp left turn, but I'm ready for it and cut them off! I reach out with my foreleg, and- "Tag!" I turn around and retreat, laughing triumphantly! I hear Snivy turn around to give chase, and I smile; this game is just getting started!

The game is over, and I'm very uncomfortable. Not physically; I'm pretty worn out, but the satisfied kind of worn out you feel after doing something fun. It was a fun game. Very fun. Fun was had by me. I enjoyed it very much.

Which is why I feel so conflicted.

This is the second time I've been tempted into acting immature with Snivy, but I don't feel bad about it this time. But now I feel bad about... not feeling bad about it? I have a lot to ponder as I help Snivy set up camp for the night; it's already dark, so we have to hurry before there's no sunlight left.

A few minutes later, the tent is ready and we eat dinner. Even after having some time to think, I don't really understand all of this... stuff, but I do realize one thing now. I chew on my food, trying to figure out how to say this. "Hey Snivy?"

"Hm? What's up?"

"Well, I... um..." This feels so awkward. Do I really have to say it? I don't know why this is so difficult for me, maybe I can just leave it unsaid? No, I can't; Snivy deserves to-

"Uh, is something up? You okay?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine, it's just that I... I wanted to tell you..." Just say it! "It was nice playing tag with you, and... you were right. I was being dumb and thinking that playing around was bad and immature, and I don't know why. I'm sorry."

"I... I was... Yeah, I was right! I'm glad you finally came around Mudkip!"

Well that ruined the moment. "I'm going to sleep now." I turn away and head for the tent.

"W-wait!" Snivy grabs my shoulder, and I turn to face them. They let go and step back. "Sorry, I just wanted to say, um... I haven't played tag with someone in ages, even back home, so... Thanks for playing with me."

"Um, yeah. Thanks for starting it; I haven't played like that in a long time either."

"Cool. Well, it's about time I hit the hay, too. Ready to camp out in a mystery dungeon?"

"I don't know, are you sure we won't get attacked?"

"No idea!"

Why do they have to say that so cheerfully? I sigh as we enter the tent and crawl into our sleeping bags. "Goodnight Snivy."

"Night-night. Sleep tight," Snivy replies.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," I finish. The rhyme feels childish to say, but for some reason, Snivy's pretty good at making me feel like a kid.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments, questions, and criticisms are encouraged and appreciated!


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